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A closely fought match between Sampdoria and Milan ended 0-0 in Genoa, as both sides fell victim to their own wastefulness in front of goal.

A youthful visiting side took to the field as M'Baye Niang was given his first Serie A start for the Rossoneri, with the 18-year-old Frenchman partnering Stephan El Shaarawy and Bojan Krkic in attack.

After a quiet start, Lorenzo De Silvestri fired the first warning shot of the game in the sixth minute, unleashing a venomous drive at Christian Abbiati in the Milan net. The veteran shot-stopper got down well to beat the strike away from danger, athletically preventing his side from conceding an early goal.

The 35-year-old was called upon again minutes later, turning two more Sampdoria efforts from Eder over the bar, as the home side pressed forward.

In the 20th minute, Daniele Gastaldello found himself kicking Abbiati's post in frustration, after the defender failed to turn a header home, when he really ought to have scored.

Milan's first real chance of the game arrived on 33 minutes. A long-range Riccardo Montolivo strike was inches away from opening the scoring and that was the best effort the visitors could muster in a sluggish first half performance.

The second period began in a totally different vein to the first, as Sergio Romero was forced into action from the off, turning a Niang effort acrobatically over the bar - following a cheeky nutmeg from the youngster.

Cristian Zapata then almost grabbed a goal at the wrong end moments later, deflecting a Eder strike just past the post, leaving Abbiati helplessly rooted to the spot, as what had previously been a dull game seemed to spark into life.

Following Milan's resurgence, the hosts held on desperately, counting upon a 61st minute goal-line clearance to deny out-of-sorts Kevin-Prince Boateng from turning home a back post cross, after good work at the byeline by Niang.

Robinho was thrown on by Allegri in place of El Shaarawy as the visitors looked for a breakthrough, but both sides continued to waste their chances and the game petered out into a goal-less draw.

The result leaves Milan in seventh spot, while Sampdoria reside in 15th position.